White Roses
by JazzGirl123
Summary: The world was a kingdom and Easter proudly claimed the throne. Nobody dared to rise against the king, especially with its secret weapon: a ruthless assassin with a heart of steel. There was only one who had the power to do so though and the assassin was assigned his next target, who is like nobody else he had ever faced before. Does he stand a chance or will Easter finally fall?
1. Chapter 1

…

_**DATE: SATURDAY APRIL 26, 2014 **_

_**TIME: 2300 **_

_**LOCATION: UNKNOWN**_

_**TARGET: SABACHI HIRITO**_

…

There was a promising young man by the name of Sabachi Hirito. He was the ideal husband for many women-and men, if the rumors were true.

He was young and ripe at the age of twenty-four, was almost certainly guaranteed to land his dream job and become the successor of the recently deceased president of the big shot CEO Company he worked for.

His sandy blonde hair and dark brown eyes of endless chocolate combined with his cockiness born from being raised in a wealthy family made him even more irresistible to all around him. His smooth talking and charismatic personality, along a few bribes thrown out here and there, never failed to give him an advantage.

All in all, he was powerful-untouchable. And that was what made him dangerous.

It made him dangerous to every other company in the area, and they stood no chance against somebody like him sitting on the throne. And there was no doubt he would enjoy crushing all of them one by one with a false smile on his flawless face as he fed the public lies.

However, there was one company that had no threats and only saw people like Sabachi as pawns in a chess game. And yet…it was better to be safe than sorry.

Easter played dirty; everybody knew that and yet they had no proof whatsoever. They had no proof to link the number one international company to all of the mysterious disappearances from all of their would-be competitors. Their hands were always clean.

For the head of the company, a wicked old man by the name of Kazuomi, never bothered to do the dirty work himself. He had someone else do it, obviously. Who, people ask?

Why, none other than the world's greatest assassin-Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

What made this boy so special, greater than all of the other professionals in the business?

A man like Sabachi was dangerous and yet Tsukiyomi Ikuto was nearly a carbon copy, at first glance at least.

Raised by a rich heiress and a famous musician, Tsukiyomi Ikuto grew to be a charming but sly young man. He was smooth with his words that were like sugar and honey with his deep blue hair and mesmerizing sapphire eyes. At the mere age seventeen, he was desired by women of all ages.

Yet how did such a promising young man fall into his current career? It was quite simple if one knew his tragic back-story.

Seventeen years before, a young heiress who was known by the name of Hoshina Souko went against her family's wishes and married her one true love, a very talented violinist named Tsukiyomi Aruto. Together, they had a son and agreed to manage the company her family left for her.

However, working in that environment did not suit him whatsoever and he left. Ikuto was barely two. She was not discouraged nor was she heartbroken. She listened as her family boasted about how right they were about a sketchy man like Aruto. She remained silent as they gave her a new husband who gladly took on her last name to become the head of the company.

At age seven, however, Ikuto's father returned and Souko was overcome with joy. She planned to run away with her true family-just her and her two boys. Hoshina Kazuomi was less than pleased when he found out about her plan and seethed with rage at the thought of losing everything. Without Souko at his side, her family would have no use for him and he would drop like a fly.

Though there was no proof, there were rumors of Kazuomi sabotaging their plans by drugging the couple and sending them on an auto-piloted plane that was rigged with a bomb all while spending the day with his "precious" stepson-the key to his plans.

The boy, barely eight now, was left with the old man and was immediately sent to various schools to achieve becoming the legend he eventually became. With natural cat-like agility, good looks, and charming words that he had all inherited from his father, he learned quickly and killed his first target at age eleven.

The first three times led to violent puking and endless tears. By the fourth one, nearly a year after his parents' deaths, he learned it was better to block out all of his emotions-especially if he was on a mission.

Speaking of which, the young man in question strode into his father's office and handed him a crisp white envelope. A cold smile crossed the man's face as he took it and opened it.

His greedy eyes skimmed over the letter's contents and each line caused his smile to become larger and larger. Finally, he put it down and gave his stepson an approving look.

"Excellent work, Ikuto," rumbled Kazuomi. "I see you've made tremendous progress over the years. It was a pain, you know, to clean up the mess you carelessly left behind the first few times."

Ikuto remained silent, waiting for the old man to continue.

"Ah, waiting for the story, are you?" Kazuomi let out a harsh bark. "Those always amuse you, don't they? Fine, I'll tell you. Sabachi is the ideal politician-very easy to manipulate despite being a near master manipulator himself. He was to become the president of a rival of ours, a name that is irrelevant, and I knew that they actually had a chance to take us down if that happened. The simple answer was to just kill him and have one of our spies there take his place."

Kazuomi leaned forward on his desk, a smirk crossing his wrinkled lips as he continued, almost smugly, "It's simple business, Ikuto. Oh, and don't worry. He had no friends and no family left if he ever had any. The suicide letter you made him write…I assume it was left near his body?"

Ikuto gave him a blank stare; the answer was obvious, but he was obligated to answer any questions. "Yes."

"And the body positioned to make it look like a suicide?"

"Yes."

"And this last will and testament was 'found' in our mailbox shortly after his death was announced?"

"Yes."

Kazuomi sat back, satisfaction plastered on his face. "Well, it's not a failure so far; let's see if it remains that way. I have no current assignments for you now." He glanced at the clock. "Be prepared for one in the morning, however. Go clean up and dispose of any evidence you have on you."

Ikuto turned on his heel and left the room. He had always had the strong urge to shower and rid himself of the invisible grime on him after a mission. It beat puking in a bucket, at least.

…

_**DATE: SUNDAY APRIL 27, 2014**_

_**TIME: 900**_

_**LOCATION: EASTER HEADQUARTERS-BOSS'S OFFICE**_

"Here's your next assignment," said Kazuomi, not bothering to greet his stepson as he entered the gray office.

Ikuto picked up the bulky, yellow envelope and raised an eyebrow. No assignment had contained this much information. It was always the general info. He looked up and used his people-reading skills to examine his stepfather. The day before, the old man had been smug and cocky as ever. Today, only people who knew him well enough or was a legendary people-reader would be able to tell how nervous the man was. Something had shaken the old man and that was a very rare feat. Ikuto wasn't sure he should be concerned or amused. He chose the latter.

"I want you to read all of that by the next hour," continued Kazuomi. "I will tell you the details when you return exactly in sixty minutes."

Ikuto couldn't help his next comment. "Details? What else could you tell me that isn't in this thing? It might as well be an autobiography about the target."

"Watch your tongue," warned his stepfather. "And this situation is far more complex. It requires all of the knowledge that can be obtained."

"Well, I'm not a fan of reading," quipped the blue-haired teenager, seating himself in the chair across from the old man's desk. "So why don't we imagine the target already dead and we get to the point where you tell me the facts?"

Kazuomi glared at him but merely nodded. "Very well, boy." He sighed and stood up, hands behind his back as he stared out at the early morning sky through his glass wall.

"As you are aware, Easter is notoriously known as the most powerful corporation the world. Only the best of the best can work here-and only the best that are loyal to me alone. There was never a single question about our power. I admit the path to success was not clean, but it is impossible to survive this world without getting our hands dirty. It was always amusing-and still is-to see people attempt to remain pure only to be stepped on."

"People were aware of that and were correct in their assumptions that this company was guilty of foul play but, of course, they could never find evidence of it. The last decade was quite successful and I had hoped to die a very wealthy man. However, that plan became doubtful shortly after Sabachi was announced dead this morning."

Ikuto, if he showed any emotion, would have looked offended just then. His work was revolting, but he executed it perfectly. Never was it connected back to him or Easter, he made sure.

Kazuomi sensed his stepson's disgust and smirked slightly before turning back to the teenager. "As I am sure you remember, the plan for Sabachi was for him to be declared as a suicide and a spy at the company was to become the next president in order for us to remain control of it. However, a report came in early this morning that changed everything. Evidently, another man was selected for the position rather than our own employee."

Ah, so that was what was bothering him. Ikuto didn't understand what the big deal was though. It sounded like another simple job to take out this new boss, despite the questions it would raise and all the risks that it contained.

"And?" He drawled.

Kazuomi snarled, though it was not directed at his stepson for once.

"There is…another company. As painful as it is to admit it, they are just as powerful, if not more, than Easter. However, they are nothing like us. They remain clean, pure, and everything innocent even after being in this business for so long. They have their fair share of struggles, however, and not many companies believe them to be threats-and that is a dire mistake. The last thing a man wants to do is face the wrath of people like them. They do not believe in bribes, lies, or anything deceitful; but they do believe in fairness and justice. No matter the situation, it is to be played by the books."

"They have stuck low and stayed out of Easter's affairs so the company never bothered to deal with them. It would be suicide to do so anyways. However, that has changed literally overnight. An employee of theirs also works for Sabachi's company and it was that employee that landed the job we anticipated our spy to obtain."

Kazuomi took a long, deep breath. "And they are not afraid to fight back if we do plan an attack on this employee, especially so soon after Sabachi's death."

"So why did you call me in then?" Ikuto asked. "If there's no one to assassinate, I have no purpose here." He began to stand. "It sounds like a done deal for now."

"Ah," began Kazuomi, making the young assassin stop in his tracks as he glanced over his shoulder curiously. "It _would _be a done deal if we decided to take the simple, clean way out." He smirked. "I think we both know that is not how Easter operates-how _I _operate."

Ikuto slowly sank back into his seat.

"It's too dangerous even for us to make a move on their employee now, but that won't be a concern if his employer is no longer able to look out for him, right?" Kazuomi remarked.

"Old man, are you going to risk your neck to try and take down this super corporation that is evidently more powerful than you can imagine?" Ikuto asked skeptically.

His stepfather smiled coldly. "I do not believe in getting my hands dirty personally, Ikuto; you know that. That's why I have you, remember?" He shook his head. "No, no; I have a new plan. And it involves you…but you'll be doing something a bit different." He gestured towards the yellow envelope as Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "Read it."

Keeping an eye on his old man, Ikuto slowly reached over and opened the envelope, taking out its contents. Documents. Of course.

"Embryo?" He remarked, amused. Was there an egg theme going on in the world or was everybody drunk when they decided to start these corporations? "Head of company…a fair, powerful CEO…" He looked up, having finished reading. "I still fail to see what the plan is if I'm not to kill their employee or them."

Kazuomi still had that cold, sinister look. Though, Ikuto was able to tell the old man was slightly amused as well. "I want you to get involved with Embryo. Learn their secrets and destroy the company from the inside."

"And how do I do that?" Ikuto asked, though he already knew as he continued to look through the envelope's contents. His stepfather stood.

"I don't care how," he replied. "Just do your job."

Ikuto looked up at him. He remained silent.

…

He watched his target for several days, trying to understand and memorize everything about them. His target, he admitted, was not how he had expected them to be.

He expected that anyone from such a pure, innocent, goody-goody company like Embryo would be just that: pure, innocent, a goody-goody. A person who embraced their feelings and won over people's hearts with a simple, little smile…what other expectation was there in that situation?

He expected to find the target's weaknesses and use them to his advantage, maybe just trying to smooth talk his way into the building like a similar job he had done a few years prior. It was another simple job, though with a few extra risks than the usual.

That was he had expected. That was not what he had received.

His target was complex and yet also simple. He couldn't place his finger on it, but it seemed familiar. Perhaps it was a disadvantage of being so closely associated with such a powerful company. He understood that.

However, the target had allies; friends, enemies, admirers. The target did not always seek them out but they always found the target. However, the target showed little to no interest to them…at first glance. It was easy to see that the target craved the attention brought upon them. It was also easy to see that the target was displeased with the kind of attention brought upon them.

Again, the target was complex but also simple at the same time. It was intriguing, Ikuto thought, but he had no use in finding everything about the target. He only needed what was necessary.

After a few more days of stalking, Ikuto decided on the next phase of his plan.

…

**DATE: MONDAY MAY 12, 2014**

**TIME: 900**

**LOCATION: SEIYO HIGH SCHOOL**

**TARGET: ?**

Not being able to wear his comfortable jeans and jacket was irritating but work was work; he had no choice in this kind of situation. He doubted anyone was a fan of the stuffy uniform that was required for everybody. Though they could also not care less since they were as equally stuffy and uptight.

"Class," began the teacher, a clumsy old fool who Ikuto easily identified as Nikaidou Yuu. He was no threat. "Please welcome our newest student, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. He will be joining us from now on."

Many boys gave him disgusted looks that were heavily laced with jealousy and envy. It was easy to see, even for the dumbest of the dumb, that this new student would easily snatch any of their female classmates who they happened to have eyes on. They would not stand a chance with him around, all of them mentally agreed.

Many girls sat up in their seats with raised eyebrows that went along with their greedy expressions and lustful eyes. It was easy to see, even for the dumbest of the dumb, that this new student originated from a wealthy family if his posture and attitude were of any indication. In other words, their families would be pleased if they managed to snatch up this boy and make them their future husband. The other girls don't stand a chance, they all thought.

Ikuto noticed their change and mentally rolled his eyes even as a small smirk crossed his lips. They were all so easy to manipulate and fool. However, even he agreed that being ogled at by girls his own age was far better than women old enough to be his grandmother-that was a mission he chose to forget.

"Ah, Tsukiyomi-san," began Nikaidou. "Would you like to say anything to the class?"

"Where's my seat?" Ikuto asked bluntly.

His voice was deep, rich-it made all the girls sigh and all the boys seethe. Well, a majority of them anyways.

Nikaidou looked taken aback. "Uh, over there in the back next to that person, I suppose, since it's the only available seat here…" He gestured towards the back of the classroom.

Ikuto's smirk grew slightly. Right next to the target. Perfect.

He did not acknowledge the older man as he strode to his seat, ignoring the eyes on him. There was only one pair that mattered and, interestingly enough, they were not anywhere near him. The target was staring out the window with a bored expression.

The target looked fragile, far too breakable…like an embryo. It would be an easy mission, though Ikuto was aware it would take time. He had time.

However, as simple as it all seemed, the young assassin couldn't help but think that this mission would end differently than his stepfather had anticipated. And it would be because of this simple but complex person sitting right next to him.

**TARGET: HINAMORI AMU**

…

**I do not own Shugo Chara!**

**Hello people of the Internet! **

**Thank you for reading my story, first of all! I am not sure where the idea came from but it just blew up at me and…here we are! This is just a prologue though so don't worry; it becomes more exciting soon enough. Also, the title has little meaning to the actual story so don't ask about that. I just needed a title…**

**Secondly, I apologize if you read my other stories and are anticipating a new chapter. I shall get to that soon enough, I promise! There are not enough hours in a day and not enough days in a year!**

**Nothing to say as of right now so please drop a review if you have any comments, which could either be your opinions and advice, or corrections on any mistakes you may have spotted here! Personally, since it's the first chapter of a new story, I would appreciate it if you told me how it seems so far! **

**Thanks, until the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

…

**DATE: SUNDAY MAY 11, 2014**

**TIME: 700**

**LOCATION: WINSTON AVENUE**

**TARGET: HAKINI KANUA**

Hakini Kanua was an arrogant young woman. She was the sole daughter of a very wealthy entrepreneur and another spoiled heiress.

She wasn't an airhead but she wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed either. At the very most, she was average. However, that wasn't good enough for her. She always had to be better than average. Not academically, of course, since she was already beautiful and had no need for brains. Brain power was for ugly people, she reasoned.

She wasn't a threat. She had power and money, but she couldn't care less about what others thought of her. She mostly left people alone and they returned the favor.

However, Kanua had a flaw.

She could hold grudges for the smallest, most trivial matters for the absolute longest time and would get immense pleasure from just simply imagining the wrongdoer's demise. At times, she herself would even be responsible for their downfall. She didn't care who got hurt in the process, as long as she struck her target.

On Sunday evening, she was found dead by the maid with a single bullet to the heart.

…

**DATE: SUNDAY MAY 12, 2014**

**TIME: 900**

**LOCATION: SEIYO HIGH SCHOOL**

"Please welcome our newest student, Tsukiyomi Ikuto," said Nikaidou. "He will be joining us from now on."

Hinamori Amu idly glanced over to the front of the room, where her teacher was introducing the class's newest addition to everybody. She saw the boys glower and the girl drool. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the window.

Just from the way the boy carried himself, Amu could tell that he was cocky and annoying like any other rich boy. She had seen people like him all the time, thanks to her family's business.

Being the daughter of the people who ran the powerful corporation, Embryo, had its advantages, sure, but it wasn't all about smiling pretty and being nice to people you secretly hated. It was a very dangerous game and that kind of life required a façade, a poker face that nobody could crack.

Luckily, Amu had had one since she was a kid. It was born out of her poor people skills, but soon developed into something more like a wall made of steel with the purpose of finding someone who could break it. So far, nobody had. Not even her parents had ever seen her without her mask. So she had very little friends if any. They were usually too intimidated by her cool personality matched with her beauty.

But there was an advantage gained. Being able to read people's emotions and expressions became so much easier when she could identify their façade and call out their bullshit. It was like a fun game sometimes.

That being said, the quick glance Amu had thrown in the new kid's direction told her everything she needed to know. He wasn't any more important than the kid in front of her. He was definitely handsomer than an average guy, she would give him that, but there was nothing else worth noting. He had on a small smirk and that was it.

Suddenly, she was aware of several pairs of eyes on her. Slowly turning around, the seventeen-year-old bombshell noticed the new student sitting in the previously empty seat next to her and the girls were giving her envious looks while the boys all stared at him for the same reason.

"Sensei," whined one girl. "Why does Tsukiyomi-san have to sit next to _Hinamori_?"

"Yeah, why does _he_ get to sit next to Hinamori-san?" A boy chimed in, just as upset.

"It's not fair!"

"Somebody else can sit there!"

Nikaidou sweat-dropped, holding up his hands. "It was the only empty seat available and Himamori-san is the only one without a partner for projects anyway."

"It's Hinamori-san," corrected the pinkette with the tone of somebody who had repeated something for a very long time with little change. "And I never complained about working alone."

"Well, now you don't have to," remarked the new student-Tsukiyomi Ikuto, she remembered was his name-as he smirked slightly at her. It made Amu want to hurl.

She rolled her topaz eyes and flicked a strand of loose hair away as she gave him an unimpressed look. "I will address the matter when it becomes an issue since we're not working on a project now, right, Nikaidou-sensei?" Amu gave her teacher a pointed look.

"R-Right," stammered the ginger-haired man, nervously pushing up his glasses as he quickly turned around towards the board. "S-So today's lesson is…"

Meanwhile, Amu tuned out her classmates' gossip about how cool and amazing she was as she took out her pen and notebook. Mentally, she congratulated herself for not killing anyone; her classmates were far too annoying.

"It's just not fair! Why does the new student have to sit with Hinamori Amu? She's absolutely trash compared to somebody like me! I mean, more so than usual…"

Annoying was an understatement when it came to Yamabuki Saaya. The pencil in Amu's grip nearly snapped in two as she reeled in her emotions. Instead of making a biting remark at the auburn-haired girl, she focused intently on the worksheet in front of her.

"Number six is wrong."

Amu nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned her head slightly and somehow wasn't surprised to find Tsukiyomi Ikuto leaning over desk and staring at her paper.

"Sorry?" She said.

"Number six," repeated the new student. "It's wrong."

"How so?" Amu asked, a bit coolly.

"The actual English translation is 'Mary's book was overdue', not 'Mary's baby was overdue'," replied Ikuto, pointing at the problem. "Your grammar is incorrect in number seven as well."

"Well, thank you," said Amu, using her elbow to push off the unwanted tutor from her desk. "I appreciate your…help, no matter how unnecessary it was, but please mind your own business."

She looked back at her paper, subtly erasing her mistakes as she ignored the envious stares from her female classmates. It wasn't as if she asked for his help!

From that very moment, Amu had a feeling things were going to be different.

…

Music class was the only class Amu and Ikuto didn't share.

It irritated him because it meant his target wasn't in his sight 24/7, but it relieved her because having him in all of her classes made her jumpy. There was something about him that unnerved her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The reason why they didn't share music class was simply because of the different sections, so to speak. Amu was in chorus while Ikuto was in orchestra, evidently gifted on the violin like she was gifted in singing.

In fact, the only other person who could sing on the same level on her was a timid girl named Utau. Amu didn't know much about the pretty blonde, other than the fact that she didn't speak much with others and lived in a foster house. And because she had been dropped off at the house as a toddler, she had no last name and refused to take one on for whatever reason.

To be honest, Amu never paid much attention to her classmates. She had a closed circle of friends and she didn't even talk with them often since they had such different schedules. However, something about Utau caught her eye that day.

The pinkette walked over to the timid girl and held out a hand, offering a small smile as she did. "Hi, Utau-chan; do you mind if I warm up with you?"

The girl's amethyst eyes widened slightly. "S-Sure thing, Hinamori-san."

"You can call me Amu," replied Amu. "It's only fair since I'm calling you by your first name, you know." Her smile grew just a bit. "And besides, I would like to become your friend."

Utau opened her mouth, stunned, and a light blush appeared on her snow white cheeks as she stammered, "I-I…" Suddenly, her eyes hardened like diamonds and she gave the startled Amu a cold look. "Who made you come over here?"

"N-No one," replied Amu, taken aback by the girl's sudden change.

"Then I never thought you would be so cruel," spat Utau. "Did you think I would be that gullible? That I would really believe the great goddess, Hinamori Amu, would want to befriend somebody like me? Get real. Or, even better, get lost."

Amu was speechless for a second. And then she realized what she had failed to see before about Utau. The blonde wore a mask-a façade-just like many others. She was hurt by the lack of a familiar bond and was afraid of letting other people in as a result. People took advantage of her shyness and played cruel tricks on her, or broke off their friendship just as she got attached. The girl was as layered as Amu herself.

"I…I apologize, Utau," the pinkette said finally. "I did not realize that perhaps I came on too strongly and aroused suspicions. I _do _want to be your friend though, but I understand that you are skeptical. I did not mean to make you so upset. I will not bother you."

She smiled at Utau, whose turn it was to be taken aback, and returned to her original spot.

For the rest of the class, Amu seemed oblivious to the intense look she was getting from those dark amethyst eyes.

…

"A-Alright, class, I have an announcement to make," said Nikaidou, wringing his hands nervously. He was doing everything in his power to avoid looking in Amu's direction and her eyes narrowed. "Ah, the principal has decided to assign this new project to help students meet new people and such…"

Amu was staring at her teacher; she was well aware that those kind of projects required partners, something she had never had due to the uneven number of students in the class but now with Tsukiyomi…

Nikaidou continued, "…and so for one month, you will be staying over at your partner's house as a guest and then you will switch." He cleared his throat, still desperately avoiding Amu's gaze. She was quite the force to be reckoned with when she was angry, and she was obviously pissed now. "Now, with Tsukiyomi here, everybody has a partner so…"

Saaya slammed her palm down on the desk as she leapt from her seat with an outraged expression. "That's not fair! Everybody has a girl-girl or boy-boy partner; Tsukiyomi-kun and Hinamori Amu cannot possibly live in the same house! Isn't that, like, against school regulations for being inappropriate or something, huh, teach?"

Other students cried out in protest as well, though the loudest was the silent protest that came from the pinkette herself. She wasn't saying anything but the look in her eyes told Nikaidou that she would kill him if she could. Actions were better than words, right?

Ikuto, on the other hand, was both surprised and pleased. This certainly made things a lot easier for him. He glanced over at Amu, who was practically seething. She was obviously not pleased with this. Well, that was too bad for her.

"Nikaidou-sensei," he called, his low and husky voice ringing over his classmates' protests. Everybody quieted and turned to him, surprised. Nikaidou looked slightly intimidated as well. "I have no problem with it."

Amu nearly snapped her neck as she whirled around to glare at him while Nikaidou rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, then if Himamori-san has no problem with it either, then I don't have any reason to switch you," he said. "Not that I could, of course, since no matter what, a boy and girl will have to be paired together."

His students had begun to protest but then they realized something important. If Hinamori wasn't paired with Tsukiyomi and the students were paired with someone else, there was a chance one of the boys could get paired with Hinamori and then one of the other girls could get Tsukiyomi.

"Okay, that's fine!"

"Can I get paired with Tsukiyomi-kun?"

"No, me!"

"Tsk, I call being paired with Hinamori-san!"

"No way, dude; I totally call dibs!"

Amu grimaced. The boys were all giving her lecherous look, making her feel highly uncomfortable. She definitely didn't one of them staying in her house, especially with her father around. As much as she hated to admit it, Tsukiyomi really was the better option.

"No."

Her voice was quiet but as always, she was overheard by everyone. They all turned to her.

"Himamori-san?" Nikaidou looked at her, concerned for his own wellbeing.

Amu closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "No, it wouldn't be fair to have everybody switch partners just because of my dislike for Tsukiyomi. I'm fine with him. There's no other option, right?" She opened her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'm happy about this." She gave her teacher a pointed look, only to receive a nervous chuckle. "And it's _Hinamori_, for goodness sake."

"R-Right," stammered Nikaidou before he cleared his throat. "So it's settled then, okay, everybody? Tomorrow, after school, you will head home with your partner. You can discuss which one of you will be the host first."

He sunk into his seat, still slightly shaken by the pinkette's intense glare. Like he had said before, she was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry.

Amu shook her head, choosing to ignore the envious looks many girls threw her way as well as the lustful ones from the boys. She then became aware of somebody leaning over her desk.

"So, _Amu_, your place or mine?" Ikuto asked suggestively.

Despite her immediate dislike for him, she couldn't help but blush from the way he spoke her name.

"Don't stress on my name like that," hissed the pinkette. "It's weird. Also, I don't recall giving you permission to call me by my first name, Tsukiyomi."

"Fine, fine, whatever, Amu," replied Ikuto, purposely continuing to use her first name simply to provoke her. He smirked at her. "You never answered my question."

"I guess my place," said Amu, sighing. She wondered what her parents were going to say when she told them. Her mother would probably be more or less alright with it. Her father on the other hand…

The bell rang, shaking the pinkette from her thoughts. She looked at the clock in wonder; the day had seemed to drag on from the moment Tsukiyomi Ikuto had stepped into the classroom.

Ikuto pulled back from her desk, still smirking at her. She noticed his slightly smug look and eyed him warily.

"What?" Amu asked, not noticing how everybody was watching the conversation intently.

The blue-haired assassin's smirk grew. "I just can't wait to see your house, Amu. I hope your bed is big enough for the both of us." He paused. "But then again, maybe it's better if it isn't."

Amu's face turned a crimson red as she sputtered gibberish at him, unable to form a proper sentence. Meanwhile, her classmates pretty much exploded. Both the girls and the boys cried out their protests and complaints. Yamabuki Saaya was one of the loudest to express her opinion on the matter, not that that was surprising.

Ikuto continued to smirk, ignoring the mayhem around him and his target as he bid her goodbye with a simple, "later, _Amu_" and left the classroom as swiftly as an assassin could.

…

Amu rubbed her temples later that evening as she sat at the dinner table with the rest of her family.

Her younger sister, fourteen-year-old Ami, was finishing up her story about how she had saved the school play by volunteering to fill in the lead role when the original actress was unable to make it.

Their father, Tsumugu, was nodding his head and showering his youngest daughter with compliments. His wife, Midori, also praised Ami with obvious pride though she wasn't quite as enthusiastic as her overdramatic husband.

Finally, it was Ami who noticed her sister's troubled expression.

"Eh, Onee-chan, is something the matter?" She asked, her golden eyes wide with concern. Their parents looked over at the pinkette.

"Amu?" Midori put down her utensils. "Are you alright? Did something happen at school?"

Amu took a deep breath as she put down her fork. "Yes, actually, but it's nothing major, really. Um…" She wasn't sure how to approach this. "We…we got assigned a new project today. It's to have the students meet new people and find out about their classmates so…well, it's kind of like an exchange problem. We got assigned partners…and well, my partner is supposed to stay here for one month and then I'm going to stay at their place for a month."

"Oh, well, that should be fine," said Midori, blinking. "I have no problem with that. Do you, dear?" Her husband shook his head. "And you, Ami?" She received the same response. "See, we're all fine with it. When is she coming over?"

Amu looked relieved. "Oh, okay; I just thought you should know." And then her panic resurfaced. "Actually, _he's _coming over tomorrow."

"A BOY?!"

The three women at the table all flinched as Tsumugu leaped up with a horrified expression on his face.

"MY LITTLE SPARROW IS BRINGING HOME A BOY?!"

Amu flushed, waving her hands frantically. "No, no! I mean, yes, I am bringing home a boy but it's not as if I picked my partner, Papa! There was a lot of arguing at school because there's an uneven number of boys and girls. Everybody else had the same gender partner and it wouldn't be fair to someone else if I switched, right? Besides, it's not as if we're going to be in the same bed!"

"AMU-CHAN? IN A BED? WITH A BOY?"

Tsumugu looked on the verge of having a heart attack. Ami was giggling into her hand, ignoring the dirty look her sister sent her way. Midori, used to her husband's overdramatic ways, sighed and looked over at her eldest daughter.

"Amu," she began. "Though your father is more vocal about it, I can't say I exactly approve of having a boy stay over here with you. However, there really is nothing to do about it." She said this as she looked over at her husband pointedly. Tsumugu flushed and slowly sat back down. "And we trust you to make good decisions."

Midori smiled and Amu returned it gratefully.

"Thanks, Mama," she said, relaxing in her seat. "If it's any consolation, Papa, I have absolutely no intention doing anything with him."

Tsumugu grumbled under his breath as his family returned to their dinners.

"It's not Amu-chan that I'm worried about…"

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**Ugh, I'm such a piece of trash. *insert a gif of Death the Kid calling himself worthless after one of his OCD attacks***

**I really am sorry about not updating sooner. School just got in the way and then the finals happened and my brain just about exploded. Now that it's summer, I wish I could I'll update sooner, but I actually have a butt-load of summer assignments to do. **

**I know; school is killer.**

**Anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter; thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it.**

**Don't hesitate to tell me about what you think of the chapter/story, any predictions or suggestions, or any mistakes you spotted!**


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